The Effects of Intuitive Interaction Mappings on the Usability of Body-based Interfaces

A key challenge with designing controls for Natural User Interfaces (NUIs) is the wide range of input actions they support along with the little affordance they have on which of these actions lead to successful system effects. In this thesis I report the findings of a comparative study between three design strategies for a whole body system. I compare the strategies on usability, intuitiveness and their ability to engage a participant about the content domain. From this study I found that while certain design approaches enhance a users’ performance completing tasks, the lack of discoverability of the interaction model left the user feeling incompetent and unsatisfied. From these findings, I discuss the role of intuition within interface design. I provide the benefits and limitations of each design along with empirically grounded guidelines on how to use the different designs to achieve a balance between usability and intuitive interaction.